Antonio Licursi

Our beloved Antonio “Tony,” a man as kind as he was generous, a force of friendship and love, passed away peacefully, on May 13th, surrounded by family and friends after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Tony exemplified whole-hearted love, an openness to embrace without bias, a welcoming laugh, and the generosity of advice and invaluable wisdom. Tony embodied a wonderful American immigrant story. Born in Ururi, Italy on July 5, 1941, he immigrated to Connecticut in 1960 where he met the love of his life, German-born Helga (Rippe) in English school. They fell in love, married, and settled in Stamford, CT where they lived for almost 50 years and raised their two daughters, Michele (Chris) Britton and Christina ( Jennifer Buell) Licursi. In 2012, Tony and Helga moved to Southbury, CT in 2012 to be nearer to their growing family and granddaughter Ava Britton. Tony easily assimilated into the neighborhood and became known as the Mayor of Traditions. Tony was predeceased by the love of his life, Helga, his parents Triestina (Carfagnini) and Luigi Licursi, and his brother-in-law and close friend, Ralph Russo. He shared his long life, holidays, collegiality, wisdom, and advice with his dedicated and supportive siblings, Maria (Ralph) Russo and her daughter Lisa (Stirling) Collins, John (Vera) Licursi and their children John Licursi and Laura (Angelo) Mazola. Tony was a consummate provider with an unprecedented work ethic. He worked as a store manager in the same grocery business he joined the day after he immigrated here and where we worked for over 40 years. He was a dedicated partner of the union (UFCW Local 371), where he met some of his closest lifelong friends and built a rewarding life proximal to his parents and siblings. A student of history with a gift of connecting the possibilities of the future from past events, he recommended we live simply, love well, help others, and conserve. A nontraditional hobbyist, Tony was practiced in perfection of the art of friendship and often said “tell me who you go with and I will tell you who you are.” Tony was always there when needed, to share support, stories, wine, or Amaro. Tony celebrated the last year of his life living in Dover, Massachusetts with his daughter Christina, her partner Jennifer, and his cockapoo Kayla, his constant companion. In his truest form, he made new friends and was under the extraordinary care of the clinicians and heroic healthcare workers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Needham, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. A Mass of Christain Burial will be held on Friday, May 20 at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Church, 910 Main Street South, Southbury, CT with a burial on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at St. John’s Cemetery in Darien, CT. Visiting hours will be held on Friday morning from 10:00 am to 10:45 am in the chapel of Sacred Heart Church in Southbury, CT. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations made in Antonio’s memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The Carpino Funeral Home of Southbury has been entrusted with the arrangements. To leave a message of remembrance, please visit https://www.carpinofuneralhome.com.